Hi Tim,

I'm new to Elevate DB and as we are working on trying to support
it in our Context Database Designer I came across a strange situation.
I can't seem to find a unicode version of EDB client for Delphi 7. Yet,
non-unicode version of Delphi 7 client (I'm using trial now) does not
want to connect to unicode database (via direct file access).
The questions are:
1. Is it possible at all to connect to EDB Unicode database with Delphi 7?
2. If it is not possible directly, is it maybe possible via Client/Server
setup?
3. Is it possible to get EDB server trial or some other limited version/license
so that we could test integration?

Our Designer is written in D7 and our customers are asking for the support of
EDB Unicode - what should we do?

The error I'm getting when trying to access Unicode database from D7 client
is EDB Error #100.

Regards,
Michael

Michael,

> 1. Is it possible at all to connect to EDB Unicode database with Delphi 7?
No.
Unicode support is only available for Delphi 2006 and above.

> 2. If it is not possible directly, is it maybe possible via Client/Server
> setup?
No. You can find more information on this here:
http://www.elevatesoft.com/manual?action=mantopic&id=edb2sql&category=0&topic=5


> 3. Is it possible to get EDB server trial or some other limited
> version/license so that we could test integration?
I can't answer this one - you must wait for Tim's answer.

> Our Designer is written in D7 and our customers are asking for the
> support of EDB Unicode - what should we do?
The only solution I can think of is to write 2 versions of your Designer: an
ANSI version and a Unicode version. You can use D7 to write the ANSI version,
but for the Unicode version you need at least D2006.
Even if you only use D2006 (or D2007/D2009), you still need to write 2 versions
because it's not possible to have the ANSI and the Unicode components in the
same application.


--
Fernando Dias
[Team Elevate]

Michael,

<< 3. Is it possible to get EDB server trial or some other limited
version/license so that we could test integration? >>

Sure, just contact Sam in sales and let her know that I indicated that you
are eligible for a free copy of EDB.

<< Our Designer is written in D7 and our customers are asking for the
support of EDB Unicode - what should we do? >>

Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done short of recompiling with
BDS 2006 or higher.  The problem for us was that D7 didn't support certain
TFieldType enumerations such as ftWideMemo (and some other issues), so we
had to exclude it from being used with the Unicode version of EDB.

--
Tim Young
Elevate Software
www.elevatesoft.com

Tim,

> Sure, just contact Sam in sales and let her know that I indicated that you
> are eligible for a free copy of EDB.
Thanks, I appreciate it!

> << Our Designer is written in D7 and our customers are asking for the
> support of EDB Unicode - what should we do? >>
>
> Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done short of recompiling with
> BDS 2006 or higher.  The problem for us was that D7 didn't support certain
> TFieldType enumerations such as ftWideMemo (and some other issues), so we
> had to exclude it from being used with the Unicode version of EDB.
That's very unfortunate, we won't be able to recompile with D2006 in the
nearest future ;(. Do you have separate versions of ADO provider for
Unicode databases? If so, I think we will just have our customers use ADO
provider to connect to unicode database if that's possible.

Do I understand it correctly that the binary formats are different for unicode
and non-unicode storages? I was unable to connect to a unicode database with a
non-unicode client.

Are you planning to continue with two separate versions or will eventually
be merging them? It does seem like two different databases at the moment...

Sincerely,
Michael

Michael,

<< That's very unfortunate, we won't be able to recompile with D2006 in the
nearest future ;(. Do you have separate versions of ADO provider for Unicode
databases? If so, I think we will just have our customers use ADO  provider
to connect to unicode database if that's possible. >>

Yes, we have the .NET Data Provider and ODBC Driver that can both be used
with Unicode databases.

<< Do I understand it correctly that the binary formats are different for
unicode and non-unicode storages? >>

Yes.

<< Are you planning to continue with two separate versions or will
eventually be merging them? It does seem like two different databases at the
moment... >>

Eventually ANSI will go away, just like it is being phased out by CodeGear
and Microsoft in favor of 16-bit or 32-bit Unicode.

--
Tim Young
Elevate Software
www.elevatesoft.com

Tim


>Eventually ANSI will go away, just like it is being phased out by CodeGear
>and Microsoft in favor of 16-bit or 32-bit Unicode.

Interesting prediction. If I was going to live long enough I'd have a large wager on how long that will take.

Roy Lambert

Roy,

<< Interesting prediction. If I was going to live long enough I'd have a
large wager on how long that will take. >>

Well, you have to remember that we are seeing a lot of emerging economies
that require much larger character sets.

Raise your hand if you want to sell your product to an economy with millions
of potential users.

--
Tim Young
Elevate Software
www.elevatesoft.com

Tim


There was a wonderful thread on this on the CodeGear forums.

Personally I think we should be encouraging the establishment of a single world language, even if it means me learning to read, write and program in a new one (eg Mandarin). The cost of translation into the various EU languages is horrendous and we have lunacies such as a Welsh language version of Windows and the Highland Council spending several million pounds on dual language signs. I'm not sure how many people on the mainland do not speak/read English, or read Gaelic fluently enough to read a sign wizzing past as 60mph but I'd guess the cost works out at c£500,000 per person.

Roy Lambert

ps I'm now off into hiding to avoid the missiles etc

Roy Lambert wrote:

> ps I'm now off into hiding to avoid the missiles etc

Well, if you hear the locals wishing you "Ceud mile leòn" just make
sure you have a copious suply of bandages to hand!  

--

Roy,

<< Personally I think we should be encouraging the establishment of a single
world language, even if it means me learning to read, write and program in a
new one (eg Mandarin). >>

I think we'll eventually see that anyway, although I'm not stupid enough to
try and predict which language it will be.

<< The cost of translation into the various EU languages is horrendous and
we have lunacies such as a Welsh language version of Windows and the
Highland Council spending several million pounds on dual language signs. I'm
not sure how many people on the mainland do not speak/read English, or read
Gaelic fluently enough to read a sign wizzing past as 60mph but I'd guess
the cost works out at c£500,000 per person. >>

Stonehenge Welcome Center, 10km

Or is that Celtic, not Gaelic ?

--
Tim Young
Elevate Software
www.elevatesoft.com